Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09) today released the following statement after voting to remove the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment:

“The principle behind the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is basic, but profound: discrimination on the basis of sex is un-American and unacceptable. Now almost 100 years old, the ERA is a long-overdue measure both Republicans and Democrats have included as planks in their party platforms over the years.

“While the amendment has received all requisite votes of approval by state legislatures, an arbitrary deadline set by Congress stands in the way of its inclusion in the Constitution. Today, a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives approved a resolution that would remove the arbitrary deadline and take a critical step toward ensuring the ERA officially becomes the 28th Amendment of the Constitution.

“Today, I voted for full recognition of gender equality in the United States. There is no better way to say once and for all that a person should not be judged by their gender or sex than to enshrine it in the document that forms the foundation of our government and codifies the principles Americans hold most dear.”